Existing law contains legislative findings and declarations stating that advanced placement courses, among other things, help to improve the overall curriculum at schools where they are provided and… More

Existing law contains legislative findings and declarations stating that advanced placement courses, among other things, help to improve the overall curriculum at schools where they are provided and provide a cost-effective means for high school pupils to obtain college-level coursework experience.
This bill would establish the Advanced Placement STEM Access Grant Program, to be administered by the State Department of Education, for purposes of awarding grants of up to $8,000 to eligible school districts to cover the costs of establishing or expanding a high school advanced placement STEM curriculum, as defined. The bill would specify that the program is to be implemented only if moneys are made available to the department from state and nonstate funding sources for purposes of the program. The bill would establish the Advanced Placement STEM Access Grant Program Account within the State Treasury for purposes of awarding grants pursuant to the program. The bill’s provisions would be repealed on January 1, 2022. Hide

The Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 (Proposition 65) prohibits any person, in the course of doing business, from knowingly and intentionally exposing any individual to a… More

The Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 (Proposition 65) prohibits any person, in the course of doing business, from knowingly and intentionally exposing any individual to a chemical known to the state to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity without giving a specified warning, or from discharging or releasing such a chemical into any source of drinking water, except as specified. Existing law prohibits the sale of expanded polystyrene packaging material by a wholesaler or manufacturer. Existing law prohibits a person from selling a plastic product in this state that is labeled with the term “compostable,” “home compostable,” or “marine degradable” unless, at the time of sale, the plastic product meets the applicable ASTM International standard specification.
This bill would prohibit, on and after January 1, 2020, a person, as defined, from selling or offering for promotional purposes in this state a personal care product containing plastic microbeads that are used to exfoliate or cleanse in a rinse-off product, as specified. The bill would exempt from those prohibitions the sale or promotional offer of a product containing less than 1 part per million (ppm) by weight of plastic microbeads.
The bill would make a violator liable for a civil penalty not to exceed $2,500 per day for each violation. The bill would authorize the penalty to be assessed and recovered in a civil action brought in any court of competent jurisdiction by the Attorney General or local officials. The bill would require the civil penalties collected in an action brought pursuant to the act to be retained by the office that brought the action. Hide

(1)Existing law establishes the Medi-Cal program, administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, under which health care services are provided to qualified, low-income persons. The… More

(1)Existing law establishes the Medi-Cal program, administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, under which health care services are provided to qualified, low-income persons. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid provisions. Existing law requires the department to develop and implement a Medi-Cal inpatient hospital reimbursement payment methodology based on diagnosis-related groups, subject to federal approval, that reflects the costs and staffing levels associated with quality of care for patients in all general acute care hospitals, as specified. Existing law generally requires the diagnosis-related group-based payments to apply to all claims.
This bill would require claims for payments pursuant to the inpatient hospital reimbursement methodology described above to be increased by 16% for the 2015–16 fiscal year, and would require, commencing July 1, 2016, and annually thereafter, the department to increase each diagnosis-related group payment claim amount based, at a minimum, on increases in the medical component of the California Consumer Price Index. Commencing with the 2015–16 fiscal year, and annually thereafter, the bill would require managed care rates for Medi-Cal managed care health plans to be increased by a proportionately equal amount for increased payments for hospital services.
(2)Existing law requires, except as otherwise provided, Medi-Cal provider payments to be reduced by 1% or 5%, and provider payments for specified non-Medi-Cal programs to be reduced by 1%, for dates of service on and after March 1, 2009, and until June 1, 2011. Existing law requires, except as otherwise provided, Medi-Cal provider payments and payments for specified non-Medi-Cal programs to be reduced by 10% for dates of service on and after June 1, 2011.
This bill would, instead, prohibit the application of those reductions for payments to providers for dates of service on or after June 1, 2011. The bill would also require payments for managed care health plans for dates of service following the effective date of the bill to be determined without application of some of those reductions. The bill would require the Director of Health Care Services to implement this provision to the maximum extent permitted by federal law and for the maximum time period for which the director obtains federal approval for federal financial participation for those payments.
(3)Prior law required, beginning January 1, 2013, through and including December 31, 2014, that payments for primary care services provided by specified physicians be no less than 100% of the payment rate that applies to those services and physicians as established by the Medicare program, for both fee-for-service and managed care plans.
This bill, commencing January 1, 2016, would require payments for specified medical care services to not be less than 100% of the payment rate that applies to those services as established by the Medicare program for services rendered by fee-for-service providers, and would require rates paid to Medi-Cal managed care plans to be actuarially equivalent to payment rates established by the Medicare program. The bill, commencing January 1, 2016, would require rates paid to Denti-Cal providers for dental services provided to adults and children to be increased by the equivalent percentage as the percentage increase required for other fee-for-service Medi-Cal providers. The bill would require those provisions to be implemented only to the extent permitted by federal law and that federal financial participation is available. The bill would authorize the department to implement those provisions through provider bulletins without taking regulatory action until regulations are adopted, and would require the department to adopt those regulations by July 1, 2018. The bill would require, commencing July 1, 2016, the department to provide a status report to the Legislature on a semiannual basis until regulations have been adopted.
(4)This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute. Hide

The Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 (Proposition 65) prohibits any person, in the course of doing business, from knowingly and intentionally exposing any individual to a… More

The Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 (Proposition 65) prohibits any person, in the course of doing business, from knowingly and intentionally exposing any individual to a chemical known to the state to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity without giving a specified warning, or from discharging or releasing such a chemical into any source of drinking water, except as specified. Existing law prohibits the sale of expanded polystyrene packaging material by a wholesaler or manufacturer. Existing law prohibits a person from selling a plastic product in this state that is labeled with the term “compostable,” “home compostable,” or “marine degradable” unless, at the time of sale, the plastic product meets the applicable American Society for Testing and Materials standard specification.
This bill would prohibit, after January 1, 2019, a person, as defined, from selling or offering for promotional purposes in this state a personal care product containing synthetic plastic microbeads, as specified, unless the personal care product is an over-the-counter drug, and would prohibit a person, after January 1, 2020, from selling or offering a personal care product containing synthetic plastic microbeads, including a personal care product that is an over-the-counter drug. The bill would exempt from those prohibitions the sale or promotional offer of a product containing less than 1 part per million (ppm) by weight of synthetic plastic microbeads, as provided.
The bill would make a violator liable for a civil penalty not to exceed $2,500 per day for each violation. The bill would authorize the penalty to be assessed and recovered in a civil action brought in any court of competent jurisdiction by the Attorney General or local officials, as provided. The bill would require the civil penalties collected in an action brought pursuant to the act to be retained by the office of the Attorney General or local official who brought the action.
The bill would declare that its provisions occupy the whole field of regulation of the sale or offering for promotional purposes of personal care products containing synthetic plastic microbeads. The bill would prohibit a city, county, or other local public agency, on or after January 1, 2019, from adopting, enforcing, or otherwise implementing, an ordinance, resolution, regulation, or rule, or any amendment thereto, relating to the sale or offering for promotional purposes of personal care products that are not over-the-counter drugs and that contain synthetic plastic microbeads, and would prohibit a city, county, or other local public agency from taking similar actions, on or after January 1, 2020, relating to the sale or offering for promotional purposes of personal care products, including, but not limited to, over-the-counter drugs, that contain synthetic plastic microbeads, except as expressly authorized. Hide

Existing law establishes the Medi-Cal program, administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, under which basic health care services are provided to qualified low-income persons. The… More

Existing law establishes the Medi-Cal program, administered by the State Department of Health Care Services, under which basic health care services are provided to qualified low-income persons. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid Program provisions. Existing law requires, except as otherwise provided, Medi-Cal provider payments to be reduced by 1% or 5%, and provider payments for specified non-Medi-Cal programs to be reduced by 1%, for dates of service on and after March 1, 2009, and until June 1, 2011. Existing law requires, except as otherwise provided, Medi-Cal provider payments and payments for specified non-Medi-Cal programs to be reduced by 10% for dates of service on and after June 1, 2011.
This bill would, instead, prohibit the application of those reductions for payments to providers for dates of service on or after June 1, 2011. The bill would also require payments for managed care health plans for dates of service following the effective date of the bill to be determined without application of some of those reductions. The bill would require the Director of Health Care Services to implement this provision to the maximum extent permitted by federal law and for the maximum time period for which the director obtains federal approval for federal financial participation for those payments.
This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute. Hide

(1)Existing law, the Medical Waste Management Act, administered by the State Department of Public Health, regulates the management and handling of medical waste, as defined. Existing law specifically… More

(1)Existing law, the Medical Waste Management Act, administered by the State Department of Public Health, regulates the management and handling of medical waste, as defined. Existing law specifically excludes home-generated sharps waste, as defined, from the definition of medical waste. Existing law requires all sharps waste to be placed into a sharps container, taped closed, and labeled with the words “sharps waste” or with the international biohazard symbol and the word “BIOHAZARD.” Existing law prohibits a person from knowingly placing home-generated sharps waste in certain types of containers and requires that home-generated sharps waste be transported only in sharps containers, as defined, or other containers approved by the State Department of Public Health or the local enforcement agency. Existing law, the Sherman Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Law, requires the State Department of Public Health to regulate the manufacturing, sale, labeling, and advertising activities related to food, drugs, devices, and cosmetics in conformity with the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. A violation of the Sherman Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Law is a misdemeanor.
This bill would require all sharps sold to the general public in California in quantities of 50 or more to include a free sharps waste container that meets applicable state and federal standards for collection and disposal of medical sharps waste. The bill would require the sharps manufacturer to provide the sharps container at no cost. The bill would require the container to, among other things, be labeled with the words “sharps waste” or with the international biohazard symbol and the word “BIOHAZARD” and would also require specified information to be included on a label affixed to the container or on a separate insert included in the sharps packaging. The bill would not preempt a local ordinance that establishes a mandatory system for the collection of home-generated sharps waste for disposal. Because a violation of these provisions would be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
(2)Existing law establishes a workers’ compensation system, administered by the Administrative Director of the Division of Workers’ Compensation, to compensate an employee for injuries sustained in the course of his or her employment. Existing law requires the administrative director to develop a cost-efficient workers’ compensation information system and requires the administrative director to adopt regulations specifying the data elements to be collected by electronic data interchange. Existing law defines “sharps waste” to mean any device having acute rigid corners, edges, or protuberances capable of cutting or piercing, including, but not limited to, hypodermic needs, hypodermic needles with syringes, and syringes contaminated with biohazardous waste.
This bill would encourage the administrative director to review the department’s practices for identifying puncture wounds caused by sharps waste in nonhealth care occupations to determine ways of encouraging more accurate reporting and collection of needlestick injury data.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. Hide

The California Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989, administered by the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, requires retailers of rechargeable batteries to have in place a system for… More

The California Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989, administered by the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, requires retailers of rechargeable batteries to have in place a system for the acceptance and collection of rechargeable batteries.
This bill would require, by January 1, 2015, a producer or a household battery stewardship organization appointed by one or more producers of a household battery to submit to the department a household battery stewardship plan, which would be required to include specified elements. The bill would require the department to review a household battery stewardship plan submitted to the department within 30 days after receipt and to approve or disapprove the plan, as specified.
The bill would prohibit a producer, wholesaler, or retailer, on and after September 1, 2015, from selling a household battery unless the plan for that battery is approved by the department. The bill would require a producer or the household battery stewardship organization to implement the household battery program pursuant to the household battery stewardship plan, including achieving a specified collection rate. The bill would require each producer or household battery stewardship organization implementing a household battery stewardship plan to prepare and submit to the department an annual report describing the activities carried out pursuant to the household battery stewardship plan.
The bill would require a producer or household battery stewardship organization submitting a household battery stewardship plan to pay the department a plan review fee, as determined by the department, when submitting the plan to the department and to pay an administrative fee, as determined by the department, when submitting the annual report. The bill would provide for the imposition of administrative civil penalties upon a wholesaler or retailer selling household batteries in violation of the bill. The bill would create the Household Battery Stewardship Account in the existing Integrated Waste Management Fund and would require that the fees be deposited into that account and that the penalties be deposited into the Household Battery Stewardship Penalty Subaccount that the bill would create in that account. The bill would authorize the fees and penalties to be expended, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to cover the department’s program implementation costs and would authorize all funds collected or received by the department under the program, except for the fees, to be expended as incentives to enhance recyclability and redesign efforts and to reduce environmental and safety impacts of batteries.
The bill would also allow a producer or organization that is implementing an approved plan and incurring specified costs to bring a civil action to recover costs, damages, and fees from another producer for failure to comply with the bill’s provisions. Hide

Existing sales and use tax laws impose a tax on retailers measured by the gross receipts from the sale of tangible personal property sold at retail in this state, or on the storage, use, or other… More

Existing sales and use tax laws impose a tax on retailers measured by the gross receipts from the sale of tangible personal property sold at retail in this state, or on the storage, use, or other consumption in this state of tangible personal property purchased from a retailer for storage, use, or other consumption in this state, as measured by sales price. Those laws provides various exemptions from those taxes.
This bill would, on and after July 1, 2014, exempt from those taxes the gross receipts and the sales price that do not exceed $750 from the sale of, and the storage, use, or other consumption in this state of, a qualified efficient clothes washer purchased for installation and use in this state.
The Bradley-Burns Uniform Local Sales and Use Tax Law authorizes counties and cities to impose local sales and use taxes in conformity with the Sales and Use Tax Law, and existing law authorizes districts, as specified, to impose transactions and use taxes in conformity with the Transactions and Use Tax Law, which conforms to the Sales and Use Tax Law. Exemptions from state sales and use taxes are incorporated into these laws.
This bill would specify that this exemption does not apply to local sales and use taxes, transactions and use taxes, and specified state taxes from which revenues are deposited into the Fiscal Recovery Fund, Local Public Safety Fund, the Education Protection Account, Local Revenue Fund, and Local Revenue Fund 2011.
This bill would be in effect until July 1, 2015, unless the state of emergency declared by the Governor due to drought conditions on January 17, 2014, is terminated before July 1, 2015, and would provide that in that event, this bill would remain in effect only until midnight on the first day of the first calendar quarter commencing more than 60 days after the date of the termination of the state of emergency.
This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy. Hide

The Sherman Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Law regulates the packaging, labeling, and advertising of drugs and devices, and is administered by the State Department of Public Health. The law prohibits the… More

The Sherman Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Law regulates the packaging, labeling, and advertising of drugs and devices, and is administered by the State Department of Public Health. The law prohibits the sale, delivery, or giving away of any new drug or new device unless either the department has approved a new drug or device application for that new drug or new device and that approval has not been withdrawn, terminated, or suspended or a new drug application has been approved for it and that approval has not been withdrawn, terminated, or suspended under specified provisions of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, or it is a new device for which a premarket approval application has been approved, and that approval has not been withdrawn, terminated, or suspended under the federal act.
The Sherman Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Law requires the department to adopt regulations to establish the application form and set the fee for licensure and renewal of a drug or device license.
This bill would revise the above-described prohibition to exempt a new biologic product for which a license has been issued under federal law.
Existing law also requires the department to inspect the place of business of each licensed manufacturer of a drug or device in the state prior to issuance of the license and, thereafter, once every 2 years, unless the United States Food and Drug Administration inspected the place of business within the previous 2 years.
This bill would, instead, require each place of business to submit to the department documentation that evidences ownership and that the place of business is operating pursuant to a valid biologics license, establishment registration, or approved investigational new drug or investigational device exemption issued by the United States Food and Drug Administration, as prescribed, or is in compliance with audits conducted pursuant to specified standards, prior to the department issuing the place of business a license. If the business does not provide this documentation, the bill would require the department to inspect the place of business prior to licensure. This bill would authorize the business to request an official copy of the valid license.
Existing law authorizes any authorized agent of the department to enter and inspect specified locations, as prescribed, for purposes of enforcement of the Sherman Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Law.
This bill would require, for any place of business where a drug or device is manufactured and its manufacturer has received a license, the department to make investigations or inspections only under specified circumstances, including when the department makes a determination that the health and safety of the public is at risk, notification has been sent by the United States Food and Drug Administration to the department requesting assistance regarding a specified recall action, or when the United States Food and Drug Administration has requested assistance for enforcement activities. Hide

Existing law requires that all fines and forfeitures imposed and collected for crimes other than parking offenses resulting from a filing in a court be deposited with the county treasurer, to be… More

Existing law requires that all fines and forfeitures imposed and collected for crimes other than parking offenses resulting from a filing in a court be deposited with the county treasurer, to be distributed monthly, as required by law. Existing law authorizes the University of California to establish a spinal cord injury research fund, independent of the State Treasury, to accept public and private funds for spinal cord injury research programs and grants.
This bill would impose an additional penalty of $1 to be imposed upon every conviction for a violation of state or local traffic laws, except for offenses relating to parking. The bill would require the penalty to be deposited with the county treasurer who would, on a semiannual basis, transfer the moneys to the State Treasury for deposit into the Roman Reed Spinal Cord Injury Penalty Fund, which the bill would establish. Because the bill would require the county treasurer to perform additional duties, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would also provide that, prior to the transfer of funds to the State Treasurer, the county treasurer is required to withhold a sufficient amount necessary to reimburse the county and the courts for their actual, reasonable, and necessary costs associated with administering these provisions. If those amounts are withheld, the bill would authorize the county to send an accounting report detailing its costs to the Regents of the University of California.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. Hide

Existing law, the Holden-Moscone-Garamendi Genetically Handicapped Person’s Program, requires the Director of Health Care Services to establish and administer a program for the medical care of… More

Existing law, the Holden-Moscone-Garamendi Genetically Handicapped Person’s Program, requires the Director of Health Care Services to establish and administer a program for the medical care of persons with genetically handicapping conditions, including hemophilia.
This bill would impose specified requirements on providers of blood clotting products for home use, as described, whose products are used for the treatment and prevention of symptoms associated with bleeding disorders, including all forms of hemophilia. This bill would require the California State Board of Pharmacy to administer and enforce these provisions. Hide

Existing law, until January 1, 2013, establishes the California Community Colleges Economic and Workforce Development Program. Existing law provides for the awarding of grants for this program, and… More

Existing law, until January 1, 2013, establishes the California Community Colleges Economic and Workforce Development Program. Existing law provides for the awarding of grants for this program, and provides that this program shall only be implemented during fiscal years for which funds are appropriated for these purposes. Existing law requires the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as part of the program, to assist economic and workforce regional development centers and consortia to improve linkages and career-technical education pathways between high schools and community colleges, in a manner that, among other things, improves the quality of career exploration and career outreach materials. Existing law also requires the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to develop an implementation strategy for achieving this goal, as specified.
The program also includes a job development incentive training component and provisions requiring the implementation of accountability measures and an independent evaluation relating to the program.
This bill would generally recast and revise the provisions governing the California Community Colleges Economic and Workforce Development Program that would be repealed by existing law on January 1, 2013, excluding the provisions relating to the economic and workforce regional development centers and consortia, and would establish a revised program that would operate until January 1, 2018. Hide